Implements recommendations of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security’s (PJCIS) report

Report of the Inquiry into Potential Reforms of Australia’s National Security Legislation

by amending the:

Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979

to: require telecommunications service providers to retain for two years telecommunications data (not content) prescribed by regulations; provide for a review by the PJCIS of the mandatory data retention scheme no more than three years after the end of its implementation phase; limit the range of agencies that are able to access telecommunications data and stored communications; provide for record-keeping and reporting the use of, and access to, telecommunications data; and require the Commonwealth Ombudsman to inspect and oversight these records for compliance; and

in relation to: the Official Trustee; the Official Receiver; the National Disability Insurance Scheme; the offence of concealment; declarations in statements received electronically; indictable and summary offences; and the location of certain offences in the Act;

International Arbitration Act 1974

to clarify the application of the Act to certain international arbitration agreements;

Family Law Act 1975

to: make technical amendments; clarify the appeal rights available for court security orders; and create access to the Family Court of Australia for court security orders made by the Family Court of Western Australia;

Court Security Act 2013

to: provide for the disposal of unclaimed items seized by or given upon request to court security officers; and clarify the processes by which court security orders can be varied and revoked;

Evidence Act 1995

to: reflect changes to the Model Uniform Evidence Bill; remove all references to the Australian Capital Territory; and make technical amendments;

Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986

to enable the National Cultural Heritage Committee to continue to function when membership falls below the maximum number; and

Copyright Act 1968

to extend the legal deposit scheme to include work published in electronic format.

to: require Australian companies involved in extractive industries to disclose any payments made to foreign countries over $100 000 on a country-by-country and project-by-project basis; and require the Australian Securities and Investments Commission to publish the Publish What You Pay reports on their website within 28 days of their receipt.

to: require owners and occupiers of land to be notified of a proposal to either build or modify a telecommunications tower within 500 metres of their property; provide that notified owners and occupiers have 30 days in which to respond to the proposed development; provide that new telecommunications towers cannot be declared to be low impact; limit the size and capacity of telecommunications towers; provide that the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) can issue installation permits for high impact facilities only in extraordinary circumstances; disallow ACMA from considering commercial interests when determining the importance of a facility in a telecommunications network; require ACMA, when considering developments near community sensitive sites, to be satisfied that all alternative sites are unfeasible; and enable local communities to appeal a facility installation permit being granted with the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

to: extend good character requirements; clarify residency requirements and related matters; clarify the circumstances in which a person’s approval as an Australian citizen may or must be cancelled; clarify the circumstances in which the minister may defer a person making the pledge of commitment to become an Australian citizen; clarify the circumstances in which a person’s Australian citizenship may be revoked; enable the minister to specify certain matters in a legislative instrument; enable the use and disclosure of personal information obtained under the

Migration Act 1958

or the migration regulations; and make technical amendments; and

Migration Act 1958

to enable the use and disclosure of personal information obtained under the

to reflect the consolidation of the legislative frameworks of the publication of Commonwealth Acts and the registration of Commonwealth instruments; clarify the definition of ‘legislative instrument’ and ‘legislative character’; provide that certain instruments are notifiable instruments which are registrable but not subject to parliamentary scrutiny or sunsetting; establish the Federal Register of Legislation; and allow the First Parliamentary Counsel to make editorial changes to Acts and instruments in the Register;

Acts Interpretation Act 1901

to: clarify references to ministers, departments and other government authorities; and confirm the continued validity of the exercise of powers, functions and duties under Commonwealth agreements following machinery of government changes. Also consequentially repeals four Acts and amends 51 Acts.

to: remove certain requirements that related to the initial planning of services in the broadcasting services bands spectrum; remove the requirement for reports made by certain subscription television licensees and channel providers under the New Eligible Drama Expenditure Scheme to be independently audited; remove the requirement for codes of practice to be periodically reviewed; remove the requirement for certain licensees to provide an annual list of their directors and captioning obligations; clarify the calculation of media diversity points in overlapping licence areas; provide for grandfathering arrangements for certain broadcasting licensees; and make technical amendments for references to legislative instruments;

Australian Communications and Media Authority Act 2005

,

Broadcasting Services Act 1992

and

Radiocommunications Act 1992

to remove redundant licensing and planning provisions that regulated the digital switchover and restack processes; and

to: provide that a general meeting of a company must only be arranged if members with at least five per cent of voting shares make the request; reduce the remuneration reporting requirements; clarify the circumstances in which a financial year may be determined to be less than 12 months; and exempt certain companies limited by guarantee from the need to appoint or retain an auditor; and

Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001

to: enable members of the Takeovers Panel to perform duties while in Australia and overseas; and provide that the Remuneration Tribunal is responsible for setting the terms and conditions of Chairs and members of the Financial Reporting Council, the Australian Accounting Standards Board and the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board.

to: expand the Export Finance and Insurance Corporation’s (EFIC) powers to enable direct lending for export transactions involving all goods (not just capital goods); and require EFIC to pay a debt neutrality charge or guarantee fee, and a tax equivalent payment, in relation to all its operations.

Amends: four Acts in the Agriculture portfolio to: abolish the Fishing Industry Policy Council; and remove obsolete provisions; four Acts in the Communications portfolio in relation to: re-transmission of programs; and consultation and publication requirements; four Acts in the Environment portfolio in relation to: abolition of the Product Stewardship Advisory Group and the Oil Stewardship Advisory Council; fuel quality standards; and hazardous waste; the

Social Security Act 1991

to make an amendment consequential on a repeal; three Acts administered in the Prime Minister and Cabinet portfolio to make minor amendments and repeal certain provisions; eight Acts administered in the Social Services portfolio in relation to: approved provider obligations; use or disclosure of personal information; and removal of spent social security and family assistance payments; seven Acts in the Treasury portfolio to make amendments consequential on repeals; the

Insurance Act 1973

to remove a redundant standing appropriation; and five Acts in the Veterans’ Affairs portfolio to remove spent veterans’ affairs and military rehabilitation and compensation payments. Also repeals seven Acts administered in four portfolios.